![](\"http:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4076\/4868487183_bbcf3a713e_o.png\")
<\/a>\nIn the July 2010 National Geographic,\nJoel Achenbach writes about\n<\/a>\nIn the July 2010 National Geographic,\nJoel Achenbach writes about\n\nThe 21st Century Grid<\/a>.\nIt’s mostly about how we need a smart grid and additional power lines\nto redistribute power better,\nbut it does get into proposed power plants to generate new power.\n\nAlthough everyone acknowledges the need for a better, smarter, cleaner grid, the paramount goal of the utility industry continues to be cheap electricity. In the U.S. about half of it comes from burning coal. Coal-powered generators produce a third of the mercury emissions in America, a third of our smog, two-thirds of our sulfur dioxide, and nearly a third of our planet-warming carbon dioxide\u2014around 2.5 billion metric tons a year, by the most recent estimate.\n<\/blockquote>\nThen it talks about how it’s hard to get stodgy electric utilities to\ninvest in anything else. However, there is at least one way:\n\nA California law requires utilities to generate at least 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources as of this year.\n<\/blockquote>\nOK, so what new energy plant are proposed for Georgia?\nThe\n\nonline interactive map<\/a>\nlets you select different energy types.\nThe map above shows four proposed new coal plants in Georgia,\nsurrounding south Georgia (plus something nonrenewable in Florida near Tampa).\nI recognize the one in far southwest Georgia as the one proposed for Early County\nand fortunately still tied up in litigation.\nAll four are in addition to the existing Plant Scherer at Juliett, GA,\nnear Macon, the dirtiest coal plant in the country, and the one that generates\n2\/3 of our power for south Georgia (as well as selling a lot of power to Florida).\nAdding still more dirty coal plants does not look like progress.\n\nContinued in next blog entry.\n
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